Best Gaming Mouse For 2018

A gaming mouse is one of the few accessories that can be so different from one person to the next. What suits you may not suit someone else. There are some key features of gaming mice that need to be taken into mind when looking for your next mouse. Amongst most gamers mouse acceleration and prediction are two features that are avoided while a mouse with a good DPI and multiple settings are generally well received.

Our list below list what in our opinion can be considered the top gaming mice on the market for 2018. In this list, we focus on mice that don’t have acceleration or prediction. All these mice come with various button formats, features and weight so bare these specs in mind when deciding on a new mouse. That being said we will be recommending the best gaming mouse with the most recognised and popular specs.

The Best Gaming Mice

Model

Buttons

Price

Logitech G502 [Our Choice]

11

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Corsair Raptor M45 [Runner Up]

7 Normal

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Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB [Runner Up]

12 Programmable + 5 Normal

Razer DeathAdder Elite [Best mouse for eSports]

7 Normal

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Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum

11

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Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB

Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB

The Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB is a mouse that allows for as much customisation as you need. With its 12 macro buttons that can be programmed, slider which allows these buttons to be positioned so it is comfortable for you and a changeable DPI up to 16,000. Yep this mouse sounds pretty awesome already doesn’t it! Now just add to the RGB and it’s perfect.

Corsair have clearly taken the Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB predecessor and decided they wanted to push the boundaries. It is a mix of everything that was great about the previous model mixed with more customisation, faster movement and more accurate movements. If you were to have a look at other reviews of the Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB you will see that most comment about the practicality and the fact this is likely the most functional gaming mouse on the market.

The design and feel of the Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB is phenomenal. The ergonomic shape and soft materials used give the user mouse that feels great in the hand. Also, the colours and lighting is exactly what you would expect from Corsair – yep, that is programmable too.

In the spirit of being honest, lets talk about the bad points. This isn’t made for everyone. If you play MMOs, First person shooters or general strategy games then this is likely the best gaming mouse you can buy. If on the other hand you play some slower paced RPGs or less demanding games then this may not be the top of your list – although it will still do great! The last point is that its a little heavier than most models, this isn’t a big issue but it may annoy some of you.

Razer DeathAdder Elite – Best eSports Mouse

Razer DeathAdder Elite

The Razer DeathAdder Elite is one of the newest models from Razer and the latest model in the prolific DeathAdder series. The DeathAdder has been at the top of many reviewers lists for some time now and it certainly looks like it is staying there. The sensor is being touted as rated for eSports players and competitive players. With its tactile buttons, ergonomic shape and it’s relaxed design which doesn’t scream gamer, the Razer DeathAdder Elite is certainly a mouse to be considered.

Razer DeathAdder Elite is a big one. It is actually larger and longer than your average mouse although it weighs less than you would expect. It comes in at 127mm x 70mm x 44mm and 105grams. Our only gripe is in fact the size. I have large hands but this just feels a little too large for me when I am playing first person shooters or anything that I need to react fast and accurately. This maybe just me but I’m more accurate when I use a smaller option like the Logitech G403 or Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB.

If your looking for programmable buttons then the Razer DeathAdder Elite might be up your alley, it does only have 7 buttons in total. The clicking buttons do have Omron switches which means there guaranteed for 50 million clicks – so you can spam the crap out of this as much as you need! The buttons on the side are large and work well, but there is only two of them like what “normal” mice use for back and forward actions. If your the type that likes to setup macros then Razer DeathAdder Elite is more than likely not for you – check out the Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB instead.

Are there any downsides to the Razer DeathAdder Elite? Like every option on this list, yes. The main issue though is quality of the product. In most cases there fine but Razer do have a reputation for lower than normal quality control measures, but this can easily be down to the sheer amount of people buying Razer products! If more people buy then it is just natural that there will be a few more people unhappy!

How To Choose A Gaming Mouse

Picture the moment, your seconds away from conquering a mission or a split second away from shooting that last enemy and then all of a sudden your mouse button sticks or your cursor stutters across your screen for just enough time to loose the mission. As gamers we have all been in that anger-inducing situation, where you just want to tear it from the computer and throw it out of the window. Well, there is a very easy answer to this problem – buy the best you can afford.

So how do you choose a mouse and which ones are the considered the best? We have put together a small table below that lists the top rated and best-reviewed gaming mice for sale. Hopefully, this will help you beat that last mission.

You have decided to buy a new mouse but what now? Which one actually is the best? Like everything in gaming, it’s down to the specific preferences of the gamer in question. The games you play, how you play and what you expect the mouse to have all cater into the decision making process.

If you’re into FPS games then your biggest concern should be picking a mouse that covers the largest DPI possible to ensure you have enough “space” to manoeuvre your character.

On the other hand if you’re into MMOs, RTS or MOBAs then you can get away with a mouse that is a little cheaper. Although you should be looking at getting a mouse with lots of extra buttons so you can programme them to in-game functions.

Features You Need

Online games have become so competitive that some people have started to play competitively for a living! Imaging being lucky enough to earn a living by playing games competitively… Those who are lucky enough to make a living touring the world playing video game tournaments need to find an edge to win. With this increase in competitiveness comes an increase in high-quality accessories, for example, the mice. There is a general thought that if you can not change the DPI (Dots per inch) of a mouse on the fly then it can not be called a gaming mouse. All the mice in our list have changeable DPI of some sort, so you have nothing to worry about. Something that goes hand in hand with changeable DPI is the polling rate which is explained just below.

What does DPI mean?

DPI is most known for its use by designers when they are stating how many dots (or pixels) are in a specific inch. DPI means exactly the same, how many different points in an inch that your cursor can be. The higher the DPI then the more responsive your mouse is, essentially how “fast” your cursor can move is the usual explanation to non-gamers.

What exactly is polling rate?

Polling rate is the number measured in Hz. This number means how many times the mouse will report back to the computer, for example, if your mouse was 1000Hz it will report back 1000 times every second. Lots of gaming mice have a changeable polling rate for gamers looking to get the very best performance. From research, we have done the general consensus is around 500Hz to 1000Hz. With the computer receiving data up to 1000 times every second it can put your CPU under additional strain which you need to consider as it can have an effect on the system.

Last modified: August 24, 2018

About The Author

I’m Nate, owner of Tech Informed. I started the website back in 2015 as a small project to share my opinions on gaming hardware. I review and suggest PC hardware and technology in general based on my experience, research and opinion.